CWIS Chair Designated Fulbright-Robles Scholar

Rudolph C. Ryser, a member of the Capella University faculty in the School of Public Service Leadership (Minneapolis, MN) and Chairman of the Center for World Indigenous Studies (Olympia, WA) has been awarded a Fulbright – Garcia Robles Scholarship to conduct research in western México and deliver four lectures on globalization and non-profit organizations at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA) in Puerto Vallarta, México during the 2011-2012 academic year, according to the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Fulbright-Garcia Robles Scholars are selected by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (US) and the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange (COMEXUS)

Fulbright Scholars are selected on the basis of their high academic and professional merit, their research proposal, the potential benefits to both countries, and the applicant's ambassadorial skills promoting mutual understanding.

Dr. Ryser's research project is entitled, "The Contribution of Indigenous Knowledge Systems of West Mexico to Food Security and Adaptation to Climate Change." The study focuses on the indigenous peoples in Western Mexico and their historical and contemporary food security strategies adapting to changing climate and environmental conditions. His lecture series at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac is entitled: "Construyendo puentes de cooperación: la globalización y el emergente sector sin fines de lucro" (Building Bridges of Cooperation: Globalization and the emerging non-profit sector).

Dr. Ryser is the third Fulbright Scholar thus recognized at the Center for World Indigenous Studies. Dr. Leslie Korn was recognized as a Fulbright-Robles Scholar in 2009 for her work in traditional medicine, and Dr. Alfredo Gomez-Beloz – Associate Scholar and Fellow at CWIS is a Fulbright Scholar as well.

Dr. Ryser will continue his work with the Center for World Indigenous Studies as Chair of the Board and Executive Director through the period of his research ending June 30, 2012.